As soon as you open the cover of Clouds in a Teacup, you step into a contemplative journey of your own creation. Oakland, California artist and activist Brett Cook invites you to shed your stress and worries to consider the wisdom of Thich Nhat Hanh during the relaxing process of coloring. His evocative black and white images nurture your own creativity; the resulting pictures will reflect your vision.

Clouds in a Teacup balances reflection and action, providing a personal springboard to contemplation and expression. Everyone has creativity within them, and these drawings nurture the meditative potential of the process, helping to relieve stress and increase joy, and rewarding you with compelling final images.

The 40 images, including double page spreads, are printed on the highest quality recycled paper through which gel and colored pens will not bleed.

Thich Nhat Hanh is one of the most revered Zen teachers in the world today. His best-selling books include Happiness and Peace Is Every Step. He lives in Plum Village in southwest France, where he teaches the art of mindful living.

Brett Cook is an artist and educator who has produced installations, exhibitions, curricula, and events widely across the United States and internationally. His work often involves community workshops and collaborative art, along with music, performance, and food. He has taught at all academic levels in a variety of subjects. He's received many awards, and was selected as a cultural ambassador to Nigeria as part of the U.S. Department of State's 2012 smARTpower Initiative and A Blade of Grass Fellow for Socially Engaged Art in 2014. His work is in private and public collections including the Smithsonian/National Portrait Gallery, the Walker Art Center, and Harvard University. Cook lives in Oakland, CA with his family.